Rober Moses Beach
Initially named Fire Island State Park, the facility attracts about 3.5 million visitors a year.
The west end of Fire Island was part of a Colonial grant to William Smith. In 1825 the federal government acquired the westerly tip to build a lighthouse and David Sammis bought about 120 acres to the east in 1855 and built the Surf Hotel.
In 1892, fears of a cholera epidemic spread by passengers on ships arriving in New York prompted the state to acquire the hotel property to establish a quarantine station. Irate local citizens obtained an injunction blocking the quarantine station and occupied the site for a while despite the arrival of troops.
Eventually the state decided the land would better serve as a park and established the Fire Island Park Commission in 1908 to run it. A 1918 fire destroyed the boardwalk and the few buildings on the site.
In 1924, the state established the Long Island State Park Commission headed by “master builder” Robert Moses as part of a statewide park and parkway program, also run by Moses. The commission obtained from the federal government four miles of beach west of the lighthouse that had been formed by shifting sand. In 1926 the first bathhouse was erected. The Hurricane of 1938 trashed the park. The commission decided to rebuild farther east near the lighthouse and in 1940, the first modern bathhouse opened to the public.
Ferry service was maintained from Babylon to the park until 1964 when Robert Moses Causeway opened and the park was renamed for Moses. Attendance boomed, so three parking fields with bathhouses were added.
The park lies in southern Suffolk County on the western end of Fire Island, one of the central barrier Islands off the southern coast of Long Island. It is known for its 5 mi stretch of splendid beaches on the open Atlantic Ocean and is a popular summer recreational destination in the New York City area. The park is accessible from Long Island by the Robert Moses Causeway across Great South Bay. This 875-acre facility is the oldest state park on Long Island.
The park is perhaps best known for its 5 miles of beach, which visitors can use for swimming, surfing, or fishing. Umbrella rentals are available at each field, and guests can also use the four bathhouses on the property. Anglers can fish from either the beach or the piers. A day use boat basin that can accommodate up to 40 boats is also available. On the west end of the park is an 18 hole pitch and putt golf course. The course is fairly secluded and meanders through native beech trees and vegetation. It is typically open April through November and equipment rental is available. The park also contains four concession stands (one at each field), volleyball courts, first-aid stations, picnic areas, and a new playground at Field 5.